Old advertising

Adapted from very early Waterman's Ideal ad.

Parker "Lucky Curve" spearfeed.

Waterman pen with initial cap.

Early Parker "click filler" pen.

Unusual Waterman pen with tiny watch in cap..

Adapted from Carter's Ink ad. Carter's used brightly colored kittens to promote its ink colors.

Collection of Spencerian dip nibs from early advertising.

Outline adapted from early Waterman's ad.

Art Deco-era woman -- that's a pen in her mouth, not a cigarette!

Cherub wielding a quill from early Parker ad.

Detail adapted from Parker ad promoting ink capacity.

Spilling ink bottle adapted from Waterman point-of-sale display.

Man at baseball game writing with Parker pen.

Woman preparing to write correspondence with Parker pen.

Adaptation of early Parker nib widths and characteristics.

Books! Stack of books adapted from early ad.

Conklin logo adapted from pen-tray labels.

Boon and Blessing! Charming ad featuring the Pickwick, Owl, and Waverley -- British pens.

Parker 51 with Lustraloy cap.

Stationers were urged as late as 1950 to keep plenty of eyedroppers in stock.

Moore L192 standard-sized self-filling pen from 1924, with an upper-level engraved cap band and #2 nib.

Esterbrook "pointmaster" ad, featuring a graphic representation of the replaceable points--a unique Estie feature.

Parker 51 set in display box, from a 1950 catalog.

In 1924, the Eagle Pencil Company advertised this "Neverbreak" self-filling pen. Note lever on barrel.

The John Hancock fountain pen--a cartridge filler from 1924. It featured metal cartridges used much as today's are. This was a huge pen.

Quirky gamin used by Onoto to advertise its pens; she's dropping a letter into a mail slot.

Inkograph sold a line of "pencil-pointed pens" that had stylographic points instead of nibs. A similar system is still used in technical pens today.

Moore ladies' pen from 1924 with counter display unit.

Moore's non-leakable pen with rounded cap end and checkerboard chasing on the black hard-rubber body.

Logo from sign used by Swan, an English pen manufacturer that made lovely flexible nibs.

A diamond-patterned barrel on an early Eagle self-filling fountain pen. Note the price: $2 per dozen.

Parker 21 advertised with "miracle octanium nib."

Parker 51 with gold-plated cap.

Counter display by Salz, featuring several of its popular Peter Pan models with ribbons.

Moore Monarch pen, a huge black hard-rubber pen with wave-style chasing.

In 1924, they meant their papers to stay put--no chintzy little half-ounce paperweights for them!

Illustration adapted from instructions on filling eyedropper pens, the standard method in the early 19th Century.

Adapted illustration of Waterman Patrician in turquoise.